


Strong and Elegant

by TheEigthPillarGeneral



Category: The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Puppy Love, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21850621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEigthPillarGeneral/pseuds/TheEigthPillarGeneral
Summary: Right from childhood, Moses has always been drawn towards girls and women of a certain type: strong, graceful, and witty.
Relationships: Moses/Tzipporah (Prince of Egypt)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	Strong and Elegant

**Author's Note:**

> One of my favourite things about The Prince of Egypt is how Moses is so smitten with Tzipporah right from when he first meets her. I also love the contrast between them, with Tzipporah being spirited and feisty while Moses is more gentle and peaceful. So it made me develop a headcanon that Moses has always been drawn towards strong and elegant women with witty personalities.
> 
> As such, this fic follows Moses through his life as he develops a fascination with various strong, graceful, and witty young women, starting from his toddler years.
> 
> That being said, I hope you enjoy!

Aya is unlike any of the ladies-in-waiting that the little princes have ever had before. Little Rameses never really notices this, but for the now three-year-old Moses, she is quite interesting.

However, his real fascination begins when one of his games with Rameses nearly ends in pain and tears.

Most of the serving girls and ladies-in-waiting are always smiling, always cooing and talking sweetly to the princes, trying to be patient and soft-spoken if they get too rough in their childish games. 

Aya, however, doesn’t baby them.

She has brought Moses and Rameses to the water garden to cool down and relax on this scorching-hot day in Egypt, seeing as Queen Tuya and Pharaoh Seti are currently attending to some important business, and so she has been assigned to watch over the sons of Egypt. 

Currently, Aya and two other ladies-in-waiting stand at the edge of the water, watching over the little princes as they play.

Little Moses’ squeals of laughter ring in the air as he runs after Rameses, who grins as he glances over his shoulder.

“Come get me, Moses!” he cheers, running with all the energy of a six-year-old boy. “Catch me if you can!”

Moses toddles after him, filled with just as much energy as his brother.

While they both run, Aya watches over them patiently, her eyes watchful to make sure neither of them hurt themselves.

“I wouldn’t run like that, my good princes,” she cautions them.

But neither of them listen to her, too lost in the boundless energy that only children of their age seem to have.

And Moses is so lost in the excitement of trying to run after Rameses that he doesn’t see the puddle close to the edge until it’s too late. 

His foot slips on the puddle immediately and he squeals as he loses his footing, stumbling towards the water. Rameses cries out in alarm, trying to run to his brother, but Aya acts swiftly.

She quickly grabs Moses, lifting him off the ground before he can fall into the water, and balances him securely on her hip. 

For a brief moment, Moses is stunned at how fast and strong Aya is, to have been able to grab him before he even met the water.

Then the fear rushes through Moses’ little body, and his face scrunches up as he starts to cry, loud wails leaving his lips as tears slide down his cheeks.

“Moses!” Rameses cries, trying to reach up to him.

“Shh, shh,” Aya murmurs, gently patting Moses’ head to soothe him.

Glancing down at Rameses, her eyes soften slightly. “Do not worry, little prince,” she reassures him. “Prince Moses is just scared. He should be fine soon.”

Rameses nods, taking the hand of another lady-in-waiting.

Moses doesn’t know how long he cries for, but after some time, his wails subside. Aya gently wipes his tears away before setting him down on the ground, and then she bends down to his level.

“That was very dangerous, Prince Moses,” Aya tells him, her voice gentle yet firm. “We do not run by the water’s edge; who knows what could have happened if you had fallen into the water and neither I nor the other servants were there to catch you?”

“I’m sorry…” Moses whimpers, looking down.

“Don’t say ‘sorry’,” Aya says, standing up. “Neither you nor Prince Rameses should run by the water’s edge, is that understood?”

Moses nods, feeling ashamed. “I won’t do it again,” he tells her, rubbing his eyes.

“Good. Now, come with me. I think you’ve had enough playtime for the afternoon.” Aya takes his hand and leads him inside the palace to his bedchambers.

As she walks him through the halls, following Rameses and another servant, Moses can’t help but stare up at Aya in amazement.

She’s so tall and lithe, her face is firm yet gentle, and it’s fascinating how she had been so quick to save him from falling. And even more, she didn’t even do the sweet baby-talk that most of the other servants use.

She had been firm but soft, and it had gotten through to Moses more than any saccharine-laced words had ever done.

From that day on, Moses resolves to make Aya smile at him, and never run near the water’s edge again. And since then, he has always been drawn towards the servants who are firm and witty, but gentle and patient at the same time.

* * *

When Moses is eleven-years-old and starts to experience the beginnings of youthful affection and young, innocent love, it becomes quite noticeable as to the kind of girls and women he is most attracted to. Strong, graceful, and witty personalities captivate him the most, regardless of whether the woman is a servant or a noble. Though most of those girls and women he’s attracted to tend to be servants, daughters of minor officials, or daughters of the palace servants.

Seti is a bit puzzled at this knowledge. Tuya takes it in stride. And fourteen-year-old Rameses just loves to tease Moses about it whenever he can.

And tonight’s banquet is no exception.

Lots of people have come tonight, and the great hall is filled with nobles and officials. Moses and Rameses are dressed in their finest gold jewelry, standing attentively as Seti and Tuya address the guests.

While listening to their parents speak, Moses just keeps his eyes on the audience, and that’s when he sees her. His heart skips a beat as excitement surges through him.

Right up front with her parents is Shani, the eleven-year-old daughter of Seti’s treasurer. Dressed in her finest linen dress, her gold jewelry glinting as she listens attentively to the speech that Seti is giving, she looks absolutely lovely tonight.

As if noticing Moses’ gaze upon her, Shani glances at him and just raises an eyebrow at him before turning her attention back to the speech.

And the inquisitive yet stern look in her eyes is enough to make Moses’ heart beat a little faster as he stands up a bit straighter.

Rameses notices this, and bites down on his lower lip to try and fight his smirk.

When Seti finishes his speech, that’s when the entertainment starts. Dancers move to the festive music as servants offer food and drinks to the guests, and Seti and Tuya mingle with officials while Moses just hangs back near a pillar and watches everything.

Right then, Rameses throws an arm around his shoulders.

“So, Moses,” he teases. “Are you planning on talking to the treasurer’s daughter yet?”

Moses blushes as he shoves Rameses off him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says, trying to hide his blush.

“Don’t play stupid,” Rameses says with a smirk. “I saw you looking at her during Father’s speech. You were absolutely smitten!”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Is that so?” Rameses grins. “Well, I think Shani was looking for you just now. She said she wanted to talk to you about something.”

Moses turns to him, surprised. “Really? Where is she?” he asks.

Rameses laughs. “Right this way, brother,” he says. “Come.”

He leads Moses to the Queen’s garden, all while the latter can’t help but wonder if it’s some kind of set-up to make him look foolish. But when they step outside into the cool night air, Moses realizes that he’s right.

Sitting beside the pond is none other than Shani, who glides her hand in the cool water. Right now, she looks truly splendid as her jewelry shimmers in the moonlight, and Moses hides behind a pillar, suddenly feeling shy.

“What are you doing? Go on and talk to her!” Rameses encourages, his voice a whisper.

Moses shakes his head. “I can’t! Not like this!” he protests.

“Well, she’s not just going to wait there forever, Moses. Don’t be shy, now.”

“But what if she-”

“Doesn’t like you? How can she not? You’re a prince of Egypt, Moses! Now go on, get out there, and,” Rameses swiftly pushes Moses out from behind the pillar into the garden, “talk to her!”

Moses yelps as he nearly stumbles, but quickly straightens up. Glancing behind him, he realizes that Rameses has already gone back into the palace, and he scowls slightly.

However, he is a little bit grateful that Rameses decided to give him that push. Moses doesn’t really know if he would’ve been able to gather up the courage to talk to her on his own.

“Are you lost, Your Highness?” Shani asks.

Startling slightly, Moses shyly rubs the back of his neck as he turns to face her, smiling. “No, not really,” he says. “What are you doing here?”

“I just wanted to explore the palace,” she tells him. “Mother and Father are probably talking with His Majesty and the Queen right now, and I wanted to see the gardens.”

“Would you like someone to join you, my lady?” Moses asks.

Shani glances at him, raising her eyebrows in that way that makes Moses’ cheeks grow warm again. “I suppose it doesn’t sound too bad,” she says.

Moses smiles shyly as he sits down next to her. “I’m happy to join you, then,” he says. “I… I wanted to say that… you look very lovely tonight.”

Biting her lower lip, Shani tries to fight back a smile. “Thank you, my good Prince,” she says. “Though I do hope that you were actually listening to Pharaoh instead of just eyeing me during his speech.”

Yet again, Moses finds himself blushing. “Sorry…” he mumbles.

“But it’s not good if a prince is so easily distracted, especially during an important event like this,” Shani teases him. “What would your father say if he learned that you were too busy watching me instead of listening to him?”

Moses shrugs. “I guess being lectured would’ve been worth it, then,” he says, grinning slightly.

Shani smiles back, and Moses can’t help but think of how pretty she looks when she smiles.

For the rest of the party, they both talk in the Queen’s garden until the banquet gradually comes to an end. Before she leaves, though, Moses gifts her with a flower from the garden, one that she graciously accepts with a gentle smile and a sincere wish of good-night before parting to rejoin her parents.

Moses knows that he probably looks like a fool when he re-enters the palace with a silly, lovesick grin on his face. He knows that Rameses is definitely going to tease him about his smile for days, perhaps weeks.

But right now, he can’t even care about that. Not when Shani’s smile is still so clear in his mind.

* * *

When Moses is sixteen years of age, Hotep and Huy receive their first disciple to train for priesthood.

The first time he meets her is when he has finished his lessons with the royal tutor, after Rameses had left early to attend a meeting together with his father in discussing with some high-ranking officials about merchants and traders.

Not really knowing what else to do, now that Rameses is in the meeting, Moses wanders out into the courtyard, and as he passes the palace temple complex, he hears a girl singing solemn prayers from within the sanctuary of Hathor within the Temple of Ra.

Curious, he silently makes his way towards the temple entrance, the sweet smell of burning incense hitting him as he hides himself behind a pillar while listening to the mysterious girl singing. Peering from behind the pillar, that’s when he gets a good look at the girl inside the temple.

The priestess appears to be around his age, and she is absolutely stunning. Her long black wig falls perfectly straight down her shoulders, and her white linen dress makes her look even more elegant. As she sings prayers to Hathor, she reverently cleans the statue of the goddess with lotus-scented water, and Moses just watches in amazement at how gracefully she moves.

He doesn’t know how long he hides behind the pillar, but at some point, the priestess stops singing and glances towards the temple entrance, revealing piercing eyes lined with black kohl.

“I do hope you realize that you’re not as sneaky as you think you are, my good Prince?” the priestess says, raising an eyebrow.

Moses’ eyes widen slightly, and his cheeks heat up as he chuckles nervously, stepping out from behind the pillar. “H-How did you know I was here?” he asks.

“My own intuition,” the priestess responds, setting down the urn of water and the cloth. “What brings you to the temple, Your Highness?”

Again, Moses hesitates in the entrance, still feeling a little bit shy. 

The priestess just sighs, putting her hands on her hips. “Look, you can come on in,” she encourages with an incredulous chuckle. “I’m not going to bite you, Prince Moses.”

“Oh, um…” Moses blushes again, rubbing the back of his neck as he steps into the sanctuary. “Right. Sorry ‘bout that.”

She’s a lot more witty than Moses expects, but that doesn’t matter. If anything, it only makes her so much more interesting.

“Can I ask your name?” Moses asks her.

“My name is Neferet,” the priestess says, her eyes softening a little. “So tell me. What brings you to the Temple of Ra, Your Highness?”

Moses just shrugs. “Well, my lessons are done for the day, and Rameses is in a meeting with Father right now,” he says. “I also heard that the priests had gotten a new disciple, so I guess I was a little curious and wanted to see them for myself.”

“Well, you’re looking at her right here,” Neferet says with a small smile. “I’m currently in training to become the high priestess of Hathor.”

“Is that so?” Moses asks, pleasantly surprised.

“Yes. And in between lessons about my duties, I also have to endure a few rants about the two sons of Egypt and their blasphemous ways,” Neferet says, giving him a pointed look. “I do hope you don’t plan on switching any heads of idols again.”

Moses looks down sheepishly. “That was only one time, though,” he says.

Neferet just chuckles, albeit a little bit skeptical. “I hope so,” she says, before her eyes soften again. “Though I will admit, it’s pretty impressive that you managed to do that.”

At that, Moses’ heart beats a little faster.

For the rest of the afternoon, Moses and Neferet talk a little bit more about themselves. Eventually, their conversation is interrupted by a guard, who tells Moses that Rameses has finished his meeting and is now looking for him.

Before he leaves, he turns back to Neferet and gently takes her hand. “I should go now,” he says, releasing her hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

Neferet smiles warmly. “It was nice meeting you too, Your Highness,” she says. “I hope to see you again soon.”

Moses just smiles back, his cheeks growing warmer as he nods. “You too,” he says before he leaves the temple.

The memory of Neferet’s lovely smile remains in Moses’ mind, and he can’t stop the dreamy smile that crosses his face as he’s led to where Rameses is waiting for him.

Rameses is at his usual hiding spot, and when he sees Moses, he’s briefly surprised to see the lovesick smile on his face. And then he just grins playfully.

“I know that look, Moses,” he teases. “I suppose you found another feisty woman to fawn over?”

“I sure have,” Moses says, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

“And who is she this time?” Rameses asks.

“The high priests’ new disciple in the Temple of Ra.”

Rameses raises his eyebrows in surprise. “My, my,” he says, slinging an arm around Moses’ shoulders. “You’re going after the priestesses now? You know the high priests won’t be very pleased to hear that.”

“As if that’ll stop me,” Moses retorts with a small grin.

Rameses just laughs.

Yes, it’s likely that Hotep and Huy will eventually find out about Moses’ crush on Neferet. When they do, he knows that he’ll never hear the end of their anger.

But right now, Moses cannot bring himself to care about that. Not when Neferet’s smile and laugh still linger in his memory.

* * *

It’s when he’s eighteen-years-old that Moses meets the woman who changes his life forever. She’s not a servant girl, an official’s daughter, or even a priestess. In fact, she’s not even Egyptian.

She’s a Midianite girl presented as a gift to Rameses, the new Prince Regent.

And she is absolutely beautiful.

Moses is struck by the fire in her dark eyes, and the hint of muscles in her body. And while he’s shocked when she tries to bite Rameses’ fingers off, something about that just intrigues him.

But then he’s pushed towards her, as Rameses gifts her to  _ him _ now. He tries to politely turn her down, only to be interrupted when the Midian girl menacingly steps towards him.

“I won’t be given to anyone, especially an arrogant, pampered palace brat!” she snaps, glaring at them both.

Moses is speechless for a moment, and to be honest, he’s pretty impressed. For someone who has been captured as a slave, she’s quite bold to speak such words towards royalty. Though he cannot show how impressed he is right now.

One thing leads to another, and now she’s twirling the rope that binds her wrists, trying to free herself. Not wanting her to get hurt or killed by the guards, Moses dives to catch the rope, struggling to keep her still as she turns and yanks, demanding he let go.

He doesn’t know what he was thinking when he releases her, letting her stumble and fall into the pond. As laughter rings through the court while she struggles to get up, Moses looks back towards his parents, only to feel a wave of shame wash over him when Tuya just looks away.

He’s better than this. So why did he think nothing of humiliating her?

Moses doesn’t know, and he knows he cannot do what Rameses is expecting when he has her sent to his bedchambers. He’ll give her the respect and the apology she deserves, and treat her better.

Though the last thing he expects is to find out that she’s escaped.

To have managed to subdue the servant so quickly, even using his bedsheets as a ladder… now, Moses is even more fascinated by this girl.

He distracts the guards, helping her escape, and then follows her and the camel to the edge of the city.

And as she rides off into the night, starting her long desert journey with only the stars to guide her, Moses just watches her, completely smitten. Her sharp and fiery eyes linger in his mind, and he hopes that this won’t be the last time he sees her.

His reverie is then broken by the crash of an urn near his foot, and then by the slave woman.

She tells him that he’s her brother, and Moses is stunned at how bold her words are. The slave woman’s brother tries to claim that she’s ill, but she fights against him, speaking about deliverance and family and before he knows it, it all gets out of hand.

She’s gone too far now, and Moses has had enough of her insolence.

“You will regret this night,” he threatens her, turning his back on her and storming off.

Then the slave woman sings the melody that has haunted him all his life, and when he looks back at her, he sees the face of the woman who has lingered in his dreams, the woman with sorrowful eyes and a crimson veil.

She smiles at him now.

And everything he’s known comes crashing down on him.

* * *

Moses does not know how long it is since he fled from Egypt, the land he once called home. He never really expected to survive the scorching heat of the desert, not when he’s had so little to drink or eat.

But he survives, and it is in the desert where he meets the Midian girl again, after saving her sisters from thieves. Her eyes are still as sharp, but there’s a free spirit in her that continues to fascinate Moses.

After he’s brought to her campsite, washed, and given long heavy robes to wear, he learns about her for real.

Her name is Tzipporah, and she is the daughter of the high priest Jethro, whose three younger daughters he has saved. In spite of their gratitude, Moses doesn’t feel worthy enough for their praises.

He can feel Tzipporah’s eyes on him when he says that, can feel the surprise she regards him with.

_ Does she think I’m worthy? _ Moses can’t help but wonder.

Tzipporah is naturally elegant, and she seems to cast a spell upon Moses. She is witty and eloquent in speech, graceful in her dance, and her good-hearted joy is as infectious as her father’s.

The more Moses spends time with her, the more he begins to heal. When he’s with her, whether he’s shepherding with her or watching her dance, it’s easy to forget the sorrow and guilt that lingers. It’s possible that Tzipporah has brought a new meaning to his life, and all he knows is that he doesn’t want to imagine a life without her anymore.

A few years pass since he’s run away, and Moses and Tzipporah are watching over the sheep on Mount Sinai, as they always do these days.

“What are you thinking about?” Tzipporah asks, gently nudging his shoulder.

Moses glances back at her. “Well, I was wondering if… if I am worthy of honour in your eyes,” he says.

Tzipporah regards him with mild surprise. However, her eyes soften slightly.

“You’re a good man, Moses,” she tells him. “I knew when you distracted the guards and covered for my escape.”

Moses is surprised. “Even though I…” He trails off, not wanting to remember the cruel humiliation he’d put her through.

But Tzipporah just shrugs with a smile. “Well, I got my payback, anyways,” she says. “And you saved my sisters when I wasn’t there. So all is forgiven.”

She says her words with a genuine smile, and in this moment, Moses’ heart feels so much lighter than before.

As the years continue to pass, they become much closer, and Moses is so grateful to have her in his life. He knows that deep in his heart, he wants to be with her for the rest of his life, and he wouldn’t give her up for anything.

And when they get married, Moses is finally content. All the guilt and sorrow has vanished, and all he feels right now is love and pleasure as he and Tzipporah come together in their tent to seal their union. Pure love and joy shines in Tzipporah’s eyes as they make love, and Moses feels so lucky to be the only one who can see her at her most vulnerable.

“I love you,” she whispers to him.

“I love you too,” Moses whispers back, holding her hand.

Never has he felt so blessed to be the recipient of such affection from such an extraordinary woman. Tzipporah is so strong, so elegant, and so, so radiant, and in this moment, Moses realizes that this is all he has ever wanted.

And he vows to cherish this strong and beautiful woman for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Today is the 21st anniversary of The Prince of Egypt, and I feel good about posting this fic on this auspicious day.
> 
> Please let me know how I did, and have a good one!


End file.
